South Africa Slaps Mugabe with Final Warning to Reverse Import Ban
17 August 2016
South Africa has flexed its economic muscle issuing President Robert Mugabe a three week final warning ultimatum to reverse draconian import ban, telling Zimbabwe to reduce duty and surtax on 112 products in response to Harare’s recent trade restrictions.
South Africa has given Zimbabwe three weeks to roll back the import ban from that country ahead of a meeting of regional ministers later this month. This follows a meeting between Zimbabwe’s minister of Industry and Trade, Mike Bimha and his South African counterpart, Rob Davies in Pretoria last Thursday. The list of goods includes furniture, baked beans, potato crisps, cereals, bottled water, mayonnaise, salad cream, peanut butter, jams, maheu, canned fruits and vegetables, pizza base, yoghurts, flavoured milks, dairy juice blends, ice-creams, cultured milk and cheese.
- South Africa is Zimbabwe’s largest trade partner, accounting for about 70 percent of imported goods in the southern African country and over 60 percent of its total trade. The two countries have to resolve the impasse before a meeting of SADC trade ministers in Botswana on August 24 as failure between the two nations reaching a consensus may result in political unrest hence leading to poor relations between the two countries.
3 Replies to “South Africa Slaps Mugabe with Final Warning to Reverse Import Ban”
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Have you done Commerce or Economics at O Level? SADC is a trading bloc that was formed to facilitate trade and reduce trade barriers. Both Zim and SA are signatories to this trading bloc and member states have to stick to agreements made by the block and therefore no country has the power to unilaterally change its trading policy against other member states. The only way Zim can implement such a policy is when it first decides to leave the block and do their own thing just like how Britain left the EU
i honestly dont see how Zim’s economic policies has anything to do with South Africa. We adjust our policies as and when it suits our economic palns. Good or bad. Only the people of Zim can approve or disapprove depending on how they assess the policy’s impact on them. Just by looking at most goods on that list, i personally dont think its a bad idea to restrict the quantities being imported as most of those are very basic products that are available locally. Of course we expect SA to cry foul because they are getting the better deal here at the expense of our own industries. There is nothing wrong with implementing import bans from time to time-every country does it , SA included.
Or what? What will they do if nothing changes? What will everyone do if nothing changes? Nothing? Or something? Empty promises followed by empty threats doesn’t feed a nation or solve economical issues. Actions are required!